Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Anybody wants to stay without sleep for 48 hours?

Surely not... I'm positive that it is silly idea... of course. But that what Steve VK3JA and I VK2PN did from Saturday to Monday for the CQ WPX CW contest. We should have our old heads read. The fun of serious contesting is for the younger fellows.... but on the other hand WE DID IT.!

The above is a screen shot of the score window minute after the test finished. We did beat our last year score (the condx were better last year) and "maybe" will keep the VK record for another year. I'm sure next year a pair of much younger guys will humiliate us... If you are contester and younger than us.... here is the challenge.

As time goes I'll enlarge this blog and/or write an other one with more observations and stories. Watch this space.

In meantime:
73
Patrick

Back again... I've decided to publish Steve's report to the 3830 so here it is:

CQWW WPX Contest, CW
Call: VK3JA
Operator(s): VK3JA VK2PN
Station: VK3JA
Class: M/2 HP
QTH: Rural Melbourne
Operating Time (hrs): 48
Summary:
Band QSOs
------------
160: 0
80: 0
40: 381
20: 1087
15: 686
10: 89
------------
Total: 2243 Prefixes = 894 Total Score = 6,873,072
Club: VK Contest Club
Comments:
Patrick VK2PN joined me as a multi-two entry for the third straight year in this
event and we enjoyed a long but rewarding weekend in the WPX CW.
Ten meters' condition was far below last year but 24 hour propagation on twenty
meters kept us busy all 48 hours. Twenty was the best I can recall in WPX with
good participation and low noise and strong signals most of the day and night
in all directions. A new 40 meter wire yagi at this QTH gave us nice boost
working EU and made up in our score for the poor conditions on ten meters.
Eighty meters was very slow here with no contacts made but 15 meters was a good
performer and even provided morning long path to EU - the first time I've seen
that path active at this QTH.
Mr Murphy tried his best to slow us down with some troubles on Patrick's
portable Hex Beam intended to be used pointing to NA in our morning hours but
it did come through later and it provided some good contacts on ten meters with
JA. All other potential mishaps were worked around so we celebrated the contest
end with a bottle of Champaign with our cooperative XYL's and hope we may have a
new VK record for multi-two depending on the official scoring.
Thanks to all who called us. We hope our VK3 multiplier was a help for many.
73! Steve VK3JA

-------------------------------------------------

I guess I should "entertain" you with some photos... well here are some for start:

Steve's smile is most obviously that he just scored nice "juicy" multiplier.

The "champ" in full flight.

Second operator in operating position Nr. 1. Note the can of Red Bull

and the "induced" concentration.

Still smiling.. must be doing fine.

With full support. Please note the piece of lovely cake in foreground.

"The cake, food, XYL served coffee and other gastronomical
treats plus lack of household QRM was likely worth at least 1000K
points!".